Vinyl Masters: 4 Turntables Tested and Rated

Sub Title: Vinyl Masters: 4 Turntables Tested and Rated

The Basics

How is this not just a fad?
Even casual listeners can hear how much richer vinyl sounds than MP3s or CDs. Digital recordings are, well, digital; they're strings of 1s and 0s. Numbers can't trail off. At some point, they have to stop. Analog playback allows sounds to fade naturally, for more depth and nuance. The vinyl resurgence is a response to audiophiles whose demands just can't be met by digital playback.

Aren't turntables noisier than digital audio?
You know that white-noise rumble you hear when the needle is between songs? That's the accumulation of motor buzz, vibrations in the tone arm, and friction between the needle and record. Digital audio doesn't have that. So, yes, vinyl can be noisier, especially if the disc is dirty or cracked. But modern turntables with high-end styluses and belt drives that isolate the motor all but eliminate hum. We played each song in our test on vinyl, CD, and MP3. Vinyl won every time.

Have records gotten any better?
Now that records are produced in smaller batches, more care goes into their manufacturing. Full-size albums generally weigh between 180 and 220 grams, double what they weighed 30 years ago. And where yesterday's discs were often pressed from recycled vinyl, many new records are imprinted on virgin, archival stock. This adds up to improved fidelity and a longer shelf life -- a century is realistic for discs that have been properly handled.

Buying Advice

Unless you plan on working as a DJ, go for a belt drive. Lightweight turntable bases, called plinths, can deliver better sound (it has to do with resonant frequencies and mass), but they're more susceptible to vibration. If you can't isolate your record player from shaky floors or jostling, you'll want something with a heavier build. And if you like the idea of digitally archiving your vinyl, look for models with USB ports.

Photos by Greg Broom/Wired

Music Hall MMF-11

The multi-layered base here is not merely decorative. Those are four separate vibration-damped plinths, which keep the motors, flywheels, tone arm, and platter all separated from one another and further isolated from ambient vibrations. As would be expected at this price, nothing is left to chance. The unit arrives in a custom wooden box with very clear documentation. We had the MMF-11 balanced and playing in less than an hour (this includes setting up its fishline-mounted antiskating weight). Even with headphones, it's the most sparkling, accurate turntable we've ever used. And vibrations in our wood-floored testing space never fazed the 39.5-pound unit. This is audiophile bliss.

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon

The name and the bright plinth suggest that the Debut leans toward the starter end of the spectrum. So we were surprised by the solid performance of this 12.3-pound turntable. It's more susceptible to ambient rumble than heavier units. But once isolated, it delivers smooth highs, accurate mids, and full (though not massive) lows, even through reference headphones. It's bare-bones -- you have to manually switch the belt to change speeds -- but it could be anyone's first turntable.

Audio Technica AT-LP1240-USB

DJs who spin vinyl use direct-drive turntables like this one. That's because direct drives get up to speed instantly, which is key for matching beats. The 1240 is a dance floor workhorse, with reverse play, sliding pitch control, and USB for digitizing your records. Reproduction in the middle and low ranges sits right on the border between booming and exaggerated. But the tank-like, 28-pound build and perfectly balanced tone arm stayed on task. Still, we wouldn't recommend it for home use -- unless home is where you practice for club gigs.

Rega RP3

The website for this British company explains in-depth how mass can dissipate energy that would otherwise be used for signal generation. That is, less mass in the plinth means brighter, purer sound, which is why Rega goes with a lightweight resin base on its 11-pound RP3.

The Rega produced slightly more warmth and detail than the Pro-Ject, but only slightly -- definitely not an additional $496 more. It was also the trickiest unit in our test to set up. Balancing the tone arm took two hours and a search through online forums for help. (Seems we weren't alone in our frustration.)

WIRED Stunning "who you callin' retro?" looks.

TIRED Setup made us want to smash records. Not enough of a performance boost for the price.